DDA flat dream may turn reality for more people

If you have applied in the latest housing scheme of the Delhi Development Authority (DDA), you stand a good chance of actually owning a flat this time.

The DDA has received about seven lakh applications for the 16,000 flats it is offering across the city. This means for each flat, there are about 43 applicants. More than 14 lakh forms were sold through various banks between November 25 and December 24.

The number of applicants this time was expected to be high considering so many flats were on offer, but the turnout has been quite low. The last time the DDA, the country’s biggest land developer, announced a housing scheme was back in 2008. More than 10 lakh forms were sold and the DDA had received six lakh applications for the 5,000 flats on offer. Going by the figures, there were about 120 applicants for each flat in 2008.

“We were expecting a huge response to our housing scheme but the number of applications is only slightly more than last time, even though the number of flats offered is more than three times,” said a senior DDA official who didn’t wish to be identified. “It seems the low number of applications is due to the new stringent regulations introduced this time,” he said.

Also, many people who usually submit fraud applications to better their chances of getting a flat, seems to have been deterred this time, he added.

The DDA will now start processing the applications and the draw of lots is expected to be held within four months — by April 2011. While the names of successful applicants will be announced, the unsuccessful ones will get back the registration amount of R50,000 for Janta flats and R1.5 lakh for other flats.

The flats offered in the scheme are located in areas like like Vasant Kunj, Mukherjee Nagar, Motia Khan, Jasola, Dwarka, Rohini, Narela, Jaffarabad, Kondli and Gharoli. There is a mix of one bedroom, two bedroom and three bedroom houses and the prices range from R3 lakh to R1.12 crore.